McGuinness: Eoghan Ban Gallagher ‘has a bit to do’ to make latter stages of league

Eoghan Ban Gallagher remains Donegal’s biggest doubt for the latter stages of the Allianz League Division 2 with a groin injury.

Sunday’s 0-12 to 1-9 draw in Armagh means that Donegal have picked up seven points from a possible eight, following on from victories over Cork, Cavan and Fermanagh. Jim McGuinness’s team welcome Louth to Ballyshannon on Sunday before a meeting with Kidare in their temporary home at Dr Cullen Park in Carlow on March 16 and then Meath’s visit to Ballybofey on Saturday, March 23.

A top-two spot will bring with it a Divison 2 final three weeks before the Ulster SFC quarter-final against three-in-a-row chasing Derry at Celtic Park on Sunday, April 21.

Killybegs clubman Gallagher has been out for three weeks having hobbled off at Kingspan Breffni Park in the 0-13 to 0-12 victory over Cavan, replaced by Mark Curran from Dungloe in the last minute of the first half.

“Eoghan is probably the furthest behind and he has quite a bit to go,” McGuinness said. “He has a bit to do. He picked up a groin injury in Cavan when he was going down for a ball. He’s working through that. We’ll have to see [if he will see action in the league] but he’s doing well. Anyone who knows Ban knows he will do everything he can and he’s as professional as there is so we’ll have to wait and see. It’ll be another few weeks. Definitely.”

Donegal have several players who are getting back towards fitness, with Niall O’Donnell, Conor O’Donnell, Caolan McColgan, Caolan Ward and Jason McGee all currently sidelined. McGuinness aims to pierce those back into contention in the coming weeks.

“We’re expecting two or three to join in and then there’s another couple that might need another couple of weeks,” he said. “We need to make sure we absolutely get it right and like a lot of things in this world now, we need to check the numbers. We must respect that.”